18-wheeler crash causes thousands in damage to historic park

DALLAS - A crash that caused major traffic delays in downtown Dallas during the morning rush hour also caused thousands of dollars in damage to a beloved historic park.

The driver of the 18-wheeler is thankful he's okay after rolling multiple times down the steep embankment. He's not sure exactly what happened. But police say he was going too fast.

About 60 yards worth of trees at Reverchon Park were torn down when crews worked to clear a path and remove the 18-wheeler that crashed.

The truck rolled near Stemmons Freeway and the entrance ramp to the Dallas North Tollway around 2 a.m. Friday. The truck was carrying thousands of pounds of dry cement. The weight of its load caused it to roll over the wall and tumble down the embankment.

The driver, Chad Shamsi, was able to get out of the truck. He suffered only minor injuries.

“When I tried to downshift to slow down around the curve, I got too close to the wall and sent me down the side,” Shamsi explained. “It happened so quick. I was conscious the whole time in my seatbelt."

The city says the shrubs would not survive if they were replanted. The trucking company's insurance may have to foot the $15,000 bill to replace them. But regardless, the city says it will replace them. It just may take a couple of years for them to look as tall and full as they were.

The parks department says it will buy more mature plants so it won't take too long to get the screening wall back.